When Calgary’s W. Brett Wilson said he was thinking of going on a date with one of The Real Housewives of Vancouver, his son Russell begged him not to do it.

“His first reaction was viciously opposed to it. ‘Don’t do it. It’s stupid.’ He used a few swear words. ‘She’s bad news. She’s a psycho,’ ” Wilson recalls from his office in Calgary. His son changed his tune, however, when he learned exactly which one of the housewives his dad was being set up with.

“I said, ‘Jeez, that’s not how they described Mary.’ He said, ‘Mary? I thought you were talking about’ . . . the high-profile goldigger. . . ‘Go ahead and do it. She’s nice.’ So Mary was already Russell-endorsed by the time I went to visit.”

Wilson went on a meet-and-greet with Mary Zilba as part of the popular Slice reality TV series that follows the high-octane shenanigans of a group of six wealthy women in Lotus Land. Their date, arranged by matchmaker Jane Carstens at the request of Real Housewives producers, took place on a patio overlooking Vancouver.

The 90-minute encounter last fall translated into three minutes of footage on an episode that aired Tuesday on Slice.

It was the least dramatic part of the Season 2 finale that saw Zilba attacked by her nemesis, Jody Clamen, who called the mother of three, among other things, “a hooker,” “a moron” and “a loser.” To top it all off? “You look like a Martian.” Ouch. (The “real” housewives have been known to have a little work done, plastic surgery-wise.)

W. Brett Wilson gave Mary Zilba a copy of his book.

Things were much more amiable during Wilson’s cameo, though. The pair met, and he gifted her with a piece by Hillberg & Berk (a jewelry company he financed on Dragons’ Den) and a copy of his book, Redefining Success: Still Making Mistakes.

“I think it’s cute that he brought me these things. But it’s a bit of a Brett-o-mercial,” Zilba said to the camera. Wilson’s trademark charm must have won her over, though, as the pair has connected again, albeit away from the cameras.

“We’ve certainly stayed in touch. Let’s leave it at that,” Wilson allows. So are they still dating? “We stay in touch,” he says with a laugh. “I will say that she is one of the most impressive people I’ve ever met, in terms of package: bright, philanthropic mind, mother of three. I find her very attractive. She’s talented. She’s not living in anyone’s shadow. She is looking after her own self.”

High-profile people such as Wilson and Zilba have a smaller dating pool than one might think, says Carstens, owner of Matchmaker for Hire, who brokered the meeting. (Wilson turned her down on two previous occasions.)

“It’s tough at the best of times to meet someone. When you’re serious and want to get down to the process of finding someone, it’s tough,” Carstens says over the phone from Vancouver. “It’s like finding a house: there are lots for sale, but nobody wants to waste time looking at everything, especially someone who is a high-profile VIP. She wants to put her time and energy into the right people. It’s more quality than quantity.”

Wilson was one of four bachelors Carstens presented to Zilba, although he was only described as a wealthy entrepreneur, no names or pictures involved. On the show, Carstens said, “If this was me, this is the one I would go for. He is the whole package.” But why would Wilson, who has famously dated singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan and Top Chef Canada’s Lisa Ray, need or want to be set up?

“I certainly have more than enough friends in this world. I am pretty happy enjoying my life as a single guy,” he allows. Still, the idea of meeting a woman whose description looked great on paper appealed to him. Then, he was asked if he minded if the date was filmed for a reality series.

“My only conditions going ahead with it was to remember two things: one, there’s no hot-tub scenes contemplated. The other: in editing, please be respectful of the fact that I have three grown children.”

In addition to his philanthropic efforts and work (he still does that, you know), Wilson spends much of his time with his children and travelling. “Ice-racing Bentleys up on frozen lakes in Finland near the Arctic Circle” was a recent expedition. This week, it’s Nashville for a “bunch of hockey,” then it’s off to Istanbul, Jordan and Turkey with Russell next month.

“I don’t have any trouble keeping busy and being in a dedicated relationship doesn’t make that any worse or any better.” That said, he is “happily single” with a caveat: “but delighted to have Mary as a wonderful friend.”

This Week's Flyers

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.